Current Affairs Update – 6th April, 2016

Hello and welcome to ExamPundit. Here are the important Current Affairs of 6 April, 2016. These are important for the upcoming SBI Clerk and NABARD Assistant Manager exam 2016.

Current Affairs at a Glance – 6th April, 2016

Delhi-based e-commerce
marketplace, ShopClues, announced
that it had signed an MoU with National
Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC), to support its e-Karobar initiative.

The Union Government on 5 April 2016 constituted a high-level committee to suggest ways
to strengthen the border protection along the border with Pakistan.
It will also address the issue of gaps and vulnerability in border fencing
along Indo-Pakistan border. The committee will be headed by former Home
Secretary Madhukar Guptaand will submit its report in three months.

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Wednesday officially
launched the state-wide implementation of National Food Security Act, which has
been renamed as 'MaaAnnapurnaYojna (Scheme)' by the state government.

The
Bihar Government on 5 April 2016 decided to impose a total ban on alcohol in towns
and cities.

National Association of Software
and Services Companies (Nasscom) on Wednesday announced the appointment
of CPGurnani
as its chairman for 2016-17.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on 5
April 2016 released Trends in world military
expenditure, 2015 report. As per the report, while the USA remained as world’s biggest
spender in 2015, India moved
up one spot in the global rankings to reach the sixth positionin terms of military expenditure.

International Conference on Zero was held at UNESCO headquarters in
Paris, France from 4 April – 5 April 2016. It was hosted by the permanent
delegation of India to UNESCO along with Pierre and Marie Curie University. The
bronze statue of the great Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhata
who is the living symbol of ancient wisdom was unveiled by the Union Minister
at the UNESCO headquarters.

UNESCO’s General Conference
President StanleyMutumbaSimataa and UNESCO’s Director-General Irina Bokova on 4 April 2016 signed
two new recommendations on Education and Training that reflect new global
trends and support the Education 2030 Framework for Action at UNESCO
Headquarters in Paris.

China on 6 April 2016 successfully launched a bullet-shaped
retrievable scientific research satellite SJ-10
(Shijian-10). The satellite was launched aboard Long March 2-D
rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China's Gobi
desert.

The
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP)2016 was observed across the world on 6 April 2016.

Finance/Industry –

ShopClues signs MoU with NMDFC to support e-Karobar initiative

Delhi-based e-commerce
marketplace, ShopClues, announced that it had signed an MoU with National
Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC), to support its
e-Karobar initiative.

The initiative tries to increase
the market for artisans and craftsmen belonging to the minority community.

Shopclues will turn training and
technology partner for NMDFC.

The e-commerce company will train
artisans on merchandising, quality management and packaging through classrooms
that will be conducted either on the phone or through video conferencing.

In addition, the products made by
NMDFC beneficiaries will get a separate page "E-Karobar" on the
marketplace.

Cabinet approves India-Sweden MoU on railways

The government on Wednesday
approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between India and Sweden on
technical cooperation in the railway sector.

The MoU was approved by the Union
Cabinet, which met here under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.

According to the statement, the
MoU will enable technical cooperation in railways policy development, regulations
and exchange of knowledge.

In addition, the MoU entails
cooperation in areas such as, freight operations in cold regions, capacity
allocation and optimisation of maintenance.

The Union Government on 5 April
2016 constituted a high-level committee to suggest ways to strengthen the
border protection along the border with Pakistan. It will also address the
issue of gaps and vulnerability in border fencing along Indo-Pakistan border.

The committee will be headed by
former Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and will submit its report in three
months.

The mandate of the committee is
to study all types of gaps in fencing and all other vulnerabilities in the
International Border on Indo-Pakistan Border. It will suggest comprehensive
approach to fix the gaps in fencing and other vulnerabilities on interim and
permanent basis.

The government's move comes three
months after terrorists belonging to Pakistan-based terror group
Jaish-e-Mohammed had breached the Indo-Pak border in Punjab and attacked the
Pathankot airbase killing seven security personnel.

Anandiben Patel launches 'Maa Annapurna Yojna'

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben
Patel on Wednesday officially launched the state-wide implementation of
National Food Security Act, which has been renamed as 'Maa Annapurna Yojna (Scheme)'
by the state government.

Though the Food Security Act was
passed during the UPA regime at the Centre, Patel, in her speech at a grand
launching function at Sanathal village near here, did not mention anything
about the Act and sought to give all credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
who according to Patel, envisioned the scheme.

Bihar imposed complete ban on alcohol sales

The Bihar Government on 5 April
2016 decided to impose a total ban on alcohol in towns and cities.

The decision to ban sale and
consumption of India Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in municipal and town council
areas with immediate effect was taken at a Cabinet meeting.

No licence will be granted for
sale and consumption of alcohol in places such as hotels, club and bars in
towns and cities with immediate effect. However, the Army cantonment areas will
be out of it as they regulated the sale and consumption of alcohol in their own
way.

Indian scientists developed eco-friendly nanotechnology for water
purification

The Scientists team from the
Institute of Advance Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati in Assam
developed an eco-friendly nanotechnology for water-softening applications.

The report was published online
on 30 March 2016 in the joural Nanoscale and the authors are Upama Baruah and
Achyut Konwar of IASST

Key characteristics

The green technology is the first
of its kind with potential to act as a biodegradable and green material for
water-softening applications

It can be used in civic water
treatment plants for generating potable water.

The technology is basically a
biopolymer, which uses a naturally occurring substance called Chitosan.

Appointment –

C P Gurnani appointed chairman of Nasscom

National Association of Software
and Services Companies (Nasscom) on Wednesday announced the appointment of CP
Gurnani as its chairman for 2016-17.

He will take the new role as
chairman of Nasscom effective from Wednesday. He will succeeds B V R Mohan
Reddy, who served as chairman of Nasscom for the previous finacial year.

Gurnani is part of Nasscom's
Executive Council and is the managing director and chief executive officer of
Tech Mahindra. As chairman of the Executive Council he will lead and assist
Nasscom in catalysing the growth of the Indian technology and services industry
and enabling the fulfillment of its future goals and aspirations, the industry
body said in a statement.

Lists/Reports –

SIPRI released Trends in world military expenditure, 2015 report

The Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute (SIPRI) on 5 April 2016 released Trends in world military
expenditure, 2015 report.

As per the report, while the USA
remained as world’s biggest spender in 2015, India moved up one spot in the
global rankings to reach the sixth position in terms of military expenditure.

Highlights of Trends in world military expenditure, 2015

World military expenditure
totalled almost 1.7 trillion US dollars in 2015, an increase of 1 per cent in
real terms from 2014. This was the first increase in military spending since
2011.

The increase reflects continuing
growth in Asia and Oceania, Central and Eastern Europe and some Middle Eastern
states.

At the same time, spending
decreased in Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Thus, the global
military expenditure picture is mixed.

The United States remained by far
the world’s biggest spender in 2015, despite its expenditure falling by 2.4 per
cent to 596 billion US dollars.

India moved up one spot in the
global rankings to reach the sixth position in 2015 for military spending.

India had 3.1 percent share of
world military expenditure of the 15 states with the highest spending in 2015.

India’s military spending in 2015
was 51.3 billion US dollars or 2.5 percent of national GDP. It was an increase
of 0.4 percent compared to 2014.

World –

International Conference on Zero held in Paris

International Conference on Zero
was held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France from 4 April – 5 April 2016.
It was hosted by the permanent delegation of India to UNESCO along with Pierre
and Marie Curie University.

The inauguration of the
Conference was held at Pierre and Marie Curie University on 4 April 2016 while
all other sessions were held at UNESCO headquarters.

The International Conference will
share the rich and remarkable history of mathematics, through the participation
of some brilliant minds, resonating with the UNESCO's mandate to advance,
transfer and share knowledge for the greater global good.

The bronze statue of the great
Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhata who is the living symbol of ancient
wisdom was unveiled by the Union Minister at the UNESCO headquarters.

UNESCO adopted two new recommendations on Education and Training

UNESCO’s General Conference
President Stanley Mutumba Simataa and UNESCO’s Director-General Irina Bokova on
4 April 2016 signed two new recommendations on Education and Training that
reflect new global trends and support the Education 2030 Framework for Action
at UNESCO Headquarters inParis.

The two recommendations are
Recommendation on Adult Learning and Education (ALE) and the Recommendation
concerning Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

Salient Features of the two Recommendations

The revision of these key international
instruments responds to the request of Member States to adapt them to reflect
new educational, social, economic, cultural and political trends.

The Recommendations were enthusiastically
adopted by Member States at the 38th session of the General Conference held in
Paris, in November 2015.

China launched SJ-10 retrievable space science probe

China on 6 April 2016
successfully launched a bullet-shaped retrievable scientific research satellite
SJ-10 (Shijian-10). The satellite was launched aboard Long March 2-D rocket
from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China's Gobi desert.

The satellite was launched with
an aim to help scientists in their study of microgravity and space life
science.

It is the second of four
scientific satellites under a CAS space program. Unlike the other three, SJ-10
is returnable. SJ-10 is the 25th such retrievable satellite launched by China
in the past decades.

Days –

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2016 observed

The International Day of Sport
for Development and Peace (IDSDP) 2016 was observed across the world on 6 April
2016.

On the occasion of the IDSDP
2016, the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP)
launched a campaign Let’s play for Sustainable Development Goals.

The campaign
seeks to encourage organisations and individuals who carry out SDP initiatives
to take a picture or a short video of their team or beneficiaries with a SDG
card that best describes their activity.